System and method for graphical processing of medical data

ABSTRACT

The invention provides a computer server with a graphical processer that can process data from multiple medical imaging systems simultaneously. Data sets can be provided by any suitable imaging system (x-ray, angiography, PET scans, MRI, IVUS, OCT, cath labs, etc.) and a processing system of the invention allocates resources in the form of a virtual machine, processing power, operating system, applications, etc., as-needed. Embodiments of the invention may find particular application with cath labs due to the particular processing requirements of typical cath lab systems.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of, and priority to, U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/745,120, filed Dec. 21, 2012, thecontents of which are incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to imaging systems in catheter labs andmethods of processing data.

BACKGROUND

A catheterization laboratory, or cath lab, is an examination room in ahospital that provides the equipment to perform medical procedures thatrequire the insertion of a catheter into a patient's arteries. Typicalprocedures in a cath lab include intravascular imaging, which can beused to detect vulnerable plaque in a patient's arteries before theonset of a stroke or heart attack. Cath labs also provide the equipmentto treat hardened and narrowed arteries by coronary angiography—aprocedure in which a doctor uses a catheter to deliver a stent orballoon to open up a narrowed artery and prevent a stroke or heartattack.

In all of these procedures, medical imaging equipment such as x-rayangiography, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), or optical coherencetomography (OCT) systems can be used to help a doctor look at theaffected arteries. Unfortunately, these imaging systems by their naturecan impose some limits on the availability of cath labs.

Typical cath lab imaging systems generate large three-dimensional datasets that must be processed by high-powered computers to provide usefulimages. The amount of processing power required to work with the highresolution 3D images that enable plaque detection and angiographicintervention goes well beyond what is offered by typical desktopcomputers. Since each imaging system requires an expensive, high-poweredcomputer, building a cath lab is a very expensive undertaking. Due tothe expense required for a cath lab, some large hospitals may only buildone or none, even where several are called for, and some smaller clinicsmay go without a cath lab entirety.

SUMMARY

The invention provides a computer server with a graphics processor thatprocesses data sets from multiple cath labs simultaneously. The serverincludes a hypervisor that creates a dedicated virtual machine for eachcath lab so that independent imaging or other medical system can accessthe resources they require, such as unique operating systems,applications, or APIs. The graphics processor provides capabilities thatare needed by the imaging or other medical systems such as, for example,the ability to perform very large numbers of transformations in parallel(e.g., linear or non-linear transformations). Since the graphicalprocessing hardware is well-suited to medical data processing, thevirtual machines can efficiently handle the work demanded by imaging orother medical systems. Since the hypervisor can allocate resourcesas-needed to the virtual machine and re-capture the capacity of idleresources, the server can do the work that would otherwise require alarge number of dedicated machines. Using high-speed networkingtechnologies, the computer server and each of the cath labs can be indifferent parts of a building or different buildings. The efficienciesoffered by using a hypervisor to share the resources of a graphicalprocessor for medical imaging processing allows a greater number of cathlabs to be built or operated for a given amount of resources. Thus,hospitals may have a greater number of cath labs and individual clinicscan have a cath lab that could not have one otherwise. Since a greaternumber of cath labs can be made available, more patients can bediagnosed and treated for conditions such as arterial plaque prior toadverse events like heart attacks or strokes.

In certain aspects, the invention provides a medical imaging or othermeasurment or analysis system that uses a server with a graphicsprocessor coupled to a memory. The server uses a hypervisor to define aplurality of virtual machines sharing the system and graphics processor.The system is operable to receive a data from a cath lab comprising athree-dimensional data set describing a patient's anatomy and perform,using the graphics processor, a plurality of transforms in parallel onthe data set within one of the plurality of virtual machines. The datacan be a three-dimensional data set, blood flow data, or other data. Thesystem can then provide an analysis or a visualization image of the dataset, for example, on a monitor or saved to disk.

The graphics processor includes one or more graphic processing units(GPUs) operably coupled together. The graphics processor is configuredto perform massively parallel data processing. Additionally, thegraphics processor may perform such operations as oversampling andinterpolation. One or more of the GPUs may include one or more framebuffer, a hardware accelerator, or both. The graphics processor caninclude one or more microchip (e.g., on each GPU) operable to execute akernel written using OpenCL, CUDA, or a similar programming language.Additionally, one or more of each GPU could include an integrated ARMCPU. In certain embodiments, the graphics processor includes a GPU fromNVIDIA, AMD/ATI, S Graphics, Intel, or Matrox, a Many Integrated Cores(MIC) processor from Intel, or other similar massively parallelcomputational device.

Preferably, the server is communicably coupled to an imaging instrumentin each of a plurality of cath labs, a plurality of imaging instrumentsof different modalities in any one cath lab, or a combination thereof.The server and the plurality of cath labs can be separated from oneanother, e.g., on a different floors of a building or in differentbuildings.

In related aspects, the invention provides a method of medical imagingor data analysis that includes using a server comprising a graphicsprocessor coupled to a memory and a hypervisor to define a plurality ofvirtual machines. The server can be used for receiving from a cath lab adata set such as, for example, a series of images comprising athree-dimensional data set of a patient's anatomy and performing aplurality of transforms in parallel on the data set within one of theplurality of virtual machines. A visualization image of the data set maybe provided by, for example, displaying it on a monitor or storing it ona disk. The server is communicably coupled to a plurality of imaginginstruments, e.g., in each of a plurality of cath labs. The method caninclude storing transformed data in a frame buffer on the graphicsprocessor, using a hardware accelerator on the graphics processor,performing a variety of algorithms (e.g., oversampling or interpolation)on the data set, or a combination thereof.

In other aspects, the invention provides a method of imaging tissue bycapturing data from a patient using a medical imaging instrument,transferring the data to a server computer comprising a graphicalprocessing unit, and using the graphical processing unit to performvarious algorithms on the data in a virtual machine while the servercomputer simultaneously uses the graphical processing unit to performvarious algorithms on other data in a second virtual machine. Avisualization image of the data can then be viewed or stored based onthe processing operations on the data. In some embodiments, theprocessing operations include performing a plurality of linear andnon-linear transformations in parallel. In certain embodiments, the dataincludes an image of a patient's tissue and the visualization imageprovides an image of the patient's tissue.

Aspects of the invention provide a system for medical imaging thatincludes a server computer comprising a graphical processing unit; ahypervisor module operable to initiate the creation of a plurality ofvirtual machines in the server computer and to coordinate, in each ofthe virtual machines, a set of processing operations by the graphicalprocessing unit on a set of data; and a tangible, non-transitory memorycoupled to the graphical processing unit and operable to store processedimage data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a catheterization lab.

FIG. 2 shows a system for image processing.

FIG. 3 gives a diagram of an image processing architecture.

FIG. 4 illustrates an alternative architecture for image processing.

FIG. 5 shows a local network structure according to some embodiments.

FIG. 6 diagrams a method according to the invention.

FIG. 7 depicts an application of systems and methods of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention provides a computer server with a graphical processer thatcan process data from multiple medical imaging systems simultaneously.Data sets from cath labs or other imaging suites (x-ray, angiography,PET scans, MRI, etc.) can be provided by any suitable imaging system anda processing system of the invention allocates resources in the form ofa virtual machine, processing power, operating system, applications,etc., as-needed. Embodiments of the invention are described as appliedto a catheterization lab, or cath lab, and may find particularapplication with cath labs due to the particular processing requirementsof typical cath lab systems such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS),optical coherence tomography (OCT), functional measurement (FM),optical-acoustic imaging, and angiographic systems. However, theprocessing system of the invention further may be applied to any medicalimaging modality.

FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a cath lab 101 according to certainembodiments of the invention. An operator uses control station 110 andoptional navigational device 125 to operate catheter 112 via patientinterface module (PIM) 105. Here, control station 110 and PIM 105 willbe described as for an IVUS system. However, the processing system ofthe invention is applicable to OCT, optical-acoustic imaging, FM, andother modalities, as well as IVUS. At a distal tip of catheter 112 is anultrasound transducer 114 (in the case of IVUS). Imaging system 120works with PIM 105 to coordinate imaging operations. Imaging operationsproceed by rotating an imaging mechanism via catheter 112 whiletransmitting a series of electrical impulses to transducer 114 whichresults in sonic impulses being sent into the patient's tissue.Backscatter from the ultrasonic impulses is received by transducer 114and interpreted to provide an image on monitor 103. The IVUS system isoperable for use during diagnostic ultrasound imaging of the peripheraland coronary vasculature of the patient. The IVUS instruments can beconfigured to automatically visualize boundary features, performspectral analysis of vascular features, provide qualitative orquantitate blood flow data, or a combination thereof. Systems for IVUSsuitable for use with the invention are discussed in U.S. Pat. No.6,673,015; U.S. Pub. 2012/0265077; and U.S. RE40,608 E, the contents ofwhich are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes.Aspects of the invention are discussed in U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/473,591, as well as progeny of that application, thecontents of each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

Operations in cath lab 101 employ a sterile, single use intravascularultrasound imaging catheter 112. Catheter 112 is inserted into thecoronary arteries and vessels of the peripheral vasculature underangiographic guidance. Catheters such as may be used for IVUS aredescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,846,101; U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,895; U.S. Pat.No. 5,651,366; U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,141; U.S. Pub. 2012/0271170; U.S.Pub. 2012/0232400; U.S. Pub. 2012/0095340; U.S. Pub. 2009/0043191; U.S.Pub. 2004/0015065, the contents of which are incorporated by referenceherein in their entirety for all purposes. Cath lab 101 may includeindustry standard input/output interfaces for hardware such asnavigation device 125, which can be a bedside mounted joystick. System101 can include interfaces for one or more of an EKG system, exam roommonitor, bedside rail mounted monitor, ceiling mounted exam roommonitor, and server room computer hardware.

Catheter 112 and PIM 105 may be connected to the imaging instrument 120and/or base station 110, which may contain a type CF (intended fordirect cardiac application) defibrillator proof isolation boundary. Allother input/output interfaces within the patient environment may utilizeboth primary and secondary protective earth connections to limitenclosure leakage currents. The primary protective earth connection forcontroller 125 and control station 110 can be provided through thebedside rail mount. A secondary connection may be via a safety groundwire directly to the bedside protective earth system. Monitor 103 and anEKG interface can utilize the existing protective earth connections ofthe monitor and EKG system and a secondary protective earth connectionfrom the bedside protective earth bus to the main chassis potentialequalization post. Monitor 103 may be, for example, a standard SXGA(1280×1024) exam room monitor. System 101 includes control system 120 tocoordinate operations.

Imaging instrument 120 may include one or more processor coupled to amemory. Any suitable processor can be included such as, for example, ageneral-purpose microprocessor, an application-specific integratedcircuit, a massively parallel processing array, a field-programmablegate array, others, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments,imaging instrument 120 can include a high performance dual Xeon basedsystem using an operating system such as Windows XP professional.Imaging instrument 120 may be provided as a single device (e.g., adesktop, laptop, or rack-mounted unit, or may include different machinescoupled together (e.g., a Beowulf cluster, a network of servers, aserver operating with a local client terminal, other arrangements, or acombination thereof).

Imaging instrument 120 may operate with different modality data sets inparallel, such as processing real time intravascular ultrasound imagingwhile simultaneously running a tissue classification algorithm referredto as virtual histology (VH). Instrument 120 may offload all or aportion of any processing to a graphic processor as described herein.The application software can include a DICOM3 compliant interface, awork list client interface, interfaces for connection to angiographicsystems, or a combination thereof. Imaging instrument 120 may be locatedin a separate control room, the exam room, or in an equipment room andmay be coupled to one or more of a custom control station, a secondcontrol station, a joystick controller, a PS2 keyboard with touchpad, amouse, or any other computer control device.

Imaging instrument 120 will generally include memory coupled to theprocessor. Memory includes any one or more computer readable storagemedia. Memory preferably refers to tangible, non-transitorycomputer-readable media. Thus, any computer of the invention generallyincludes at least one processor (e.g., one or more silicon chip with oneor more cores) coupled to at least one non-transitory memory.

Imaging instrument 120 may generally include one or more USB or similarinterfaces for connecting peripheral equipment. Available USB devicesfor connection include the custom control stations, optional joystick125, and a color printer. In some embodiments, imaging instrument 120includes one or more of a USB 2.0 high speed interface, a 10/100/1000baseT Ethernet network interface, AC power jack, PS2 jack, PotentialEqualization Post, 1 GigE Ethernet interface, microphone and line jacks,VGA video, DVI video interface, PIM interface, ECG interface, otherconnections, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, imaginginstrument 120 operates as a proximal collector, and optionalpreprocessor, of data collected via PIM 105 and catheter 112. In someembodiments, PIM 105 transmits data to a shared system without thebenefit of an imaging instrument 120, e.g., either directly or throughcontrol system 110.

FIG. 2 shows a shared system 201 for processing images from a pluralityof imaging systems 120 a, 120 b, 120 c, . . . , 120 n. Each of theimaging systems 120 may send data via hub 213 to a shared graphicsprocessor 205. Processor 205 can use resources from, or be part of,networked resources 229. In operation, processor 205 includes ahypervisor 219 that allocates processing power from one or moregraphical processing unit (GPU) 213 to create a plurality of virtualmachines 223 a, 223 b, 223 c, . . . , 223 n. In some embodiments, eachvirtual machine 223 services one imaging system 120. Additionally oralternatively, any imaging system 120 could request and receive morethan one virtual machine 223, and any virtual machine 223 could performservices for more than one imaging system 220. Additionally, processor205 will generally include a connection to storage 207.

Shared system 201 virtualizes computers, operating systems, or both forthe processing of images from a plurality of imaging systems 120 bymeans of hypervisor 219. Any suitable virtual machine monitor mayperform the role of hypervisor 219. Platform virtualization is performedby system 201 (a control program), which creates a simulated computerenvironment, a virtual machine 223, for its guest software. The guestsoftware is not limited to user applications; it may allow the executionof complete operating systems. The guest software executes as if it wererunning directly on the physical hardware. The described architectureprovides a number of benefits. The system operates at significantlylower energy consumption than a similar number of cath labs that do notshare a graphic processor 205. Processor 205 can be more easilymaintained, inspected, updated, protected, and moved than a plurality ofdistributed computers.

In certain embodiments, one or more of the virtual machines 223simulates enough hardware to allow an unmodified “guest” OS (onedesigned for the same instruction set) to be run in isolation. This maybe allowed by including such tools as, for example, ParallelsWorkstation, Parallels Desktop for Mac, VirtualBox, Virtual Iron, OracleVM, Virtual PC, Virtual Server, Hyper-V, VMware Workstation, VMwareServer (formerly GSX Server), KVM, QEMU, Adeos, Mac-on-Linux, Win4BSD,Win4Lin Pro, and Egenera vBlade technology, Linux KVM, VMwareWorkstation, VMware Fusion, Microsoft Hyper-V, Microsoft Virtual PC,Xen, Parallels Desktop for Mac, Oracle VM Server for SPARC, VirtualBoxand Parallels Workstation.

Due to the nature of image processing operations that are employed inmedical imaging, processor 205 includes one or more of GPU 215. GPU 215,also occasionally called visual processing unit (VPU), provides aspecialized electronic circuit to manipulate and alter memory toaccelerate the building of images (e.g., within a frame buffer). GPU 215is efficient at manipulating medical image data, and the highly parallelstructure can make it more effective than general-purpose CPUs foralgorithms where processing of large blocks of data is done in parallel.GPU 215 can include resources for 2D acceleration, 3D functionality,graphics-related application programming interfaces (APIs) such asOpenGL or DirectX, or general purpose GPU (GPGPU) developmentenvironments such as OpenCL or CUDA by NVIDIA. GPU 215 can includeprogrammable shading to (e.g., each pixel can be processed by a shortprogram that can include additional image textures as inputs; eachgeometric vertex can be processed by a short program; etc.). Suchfunctionality can be offered by OpenGL API, DirectX, and the GeForcechips by NVIDIA. GPU 215 may further include support for generic streamprocessing. In certain embodiments, processor 205 includes a pluralityof parallelized GPUs (e.g., each itself configured to perform paralleloperations). Parallelized GPU computing can be implemented using anysuitable platform such as, for example, products from NVIDIA, or OpenCL.OpenCL is an open standard defined by the Khronos Group. OpenCLsolutions are supported by Intel, AMD, NVIDIA, and ARM. Processor 205will include at least one GPU 215. Any suitable GPU can be used,including, for example, those made by Intel, NVIDIA, AMD/ATI, S3Graphics (owned by VIA Technologies), and Matrox. GPU can provide anysuitable algorithm or processing function known in the art such as, forexample, neural networks, decision trees, graph algorithms, tree-spacesearching, Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling of data sets, etc. GPU 215can include a programmable shader or other resources to manipulatevertices and textures, perform oversampling and interpolation techniquesto reduce aliasing, and very high-precision color spaces. In certainembodiments, GPU 215 is a GTX680 (GK104 core), GT640M (GK107 core), GTX660 Ti (GK104 core), GTX 660 (GK106 core), GTX 650 (GK107 core), orGTX690 by NVIDIA or a Radeon by AMD. In some embodiments, GPU 215includes an integrated ARM CPU of its own. GPU 215 may operate viaOpeNVIDIA, OpenCL, or CUDA, an SDK and API that allows using the Cprogramming language to code algorithms. GPU 215 can process manyindependent vertices and fragments in parallel. In this sense, GPU 215is a stream processor and can operate in parallel by running one kernelon many records in a stream at once.

A stream includes a set of records that require similar computation.Streams provide data parallelism. Kernels are the functions that areapplied to each element in the stream. In the GPUs, vertices andfragments are the elements in streams and vertex and fragment shadersare the kernels to be run on them.

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary relation of resources in processor 205.Hypervisor 219 allows for the virtualization of the GPU 215. Hypervisor219 may be any suitable manager such as, for example, the NVIDIA VGXHypervisor, which allows a virtual machine to interact directly with aGPU. Hypervisor 219 manages GPU resources to allow multiple medicalimaging systems to share common hardware while improving user density.Each virtual machine 223 can provide a guest operating system orprocessing environment. The guest OS can provide applications, drivers,APIs, and remote protocol tools. Virtualization and data processing arediscussed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,239,938; U.S. Pat. No. 7,672,790; U.S. Pat.No. 7,743,189; U.S. Pub. 2011/0274329; U.S. Pub. 2008/0143707; and U.S.Pub. 2004/0111552, the contents of each of which are incorporated byreference. Processor 205 may be onsite or off-site.

FIG. 4 illustrates an architecture 203 for image processing that isconducive to the use of an off-site processor 205. Processor 205includes the elements shown in FIG. 4 (e.g., hypervisor 219, VM 223,etc.) and is connected to hub 213 over network resource 229, which caninclude the Internet, a WAN or LAN, cellular telephone data networks,other methodology, or a combination thereof. Network 229 can alsoprovide a connection for storage 207. Via hub 213, processor 205 isconnected to a plurality of local imaging instruments 120. It should beappreciated that a local connection can service a medical suite such asa cath lab, and can include connections to a plurality of differentimaging instruments within a medical suite.

FIG. 5 shows a local network structure in which each medical suite hasits own combination of imaging modalities, all connected to processor205. Here, hub 213 a is connected to imaging suite 101 a that includesangiographic, MRI, OCT, FM, and IVUS imaging instruments. Hub 213 b isconnected to cath lab 101 b that provides angiographic, OCT, and IVUSservices. Hub 213 n connects to cath lab 101 n. It will be appreciatedthat any suitable number of cath lab 101, each having any givencombination of imaging modality instruments, may be connected toprocessor 205. By sharing a graphical processor 205 with a plurality ofdifferent imaging instruments 120, methods of the invention providebeneficial costs and qualities of image processing services.

FIG. 6 diagrams a method according to the invention. A data set isreceived 609 at processor 205 from a medical imaging instrument 120.Hypervisor 219 allocates 615 a virtual machine 223 for the requestinginstrument 120. GPU 215 processes 621 the data set within virtualmachine 223. Where GPU 215 includes one or more optional frame buffer,the nascent processed data is stored 627 in the frame buffer. Processor205 then operates to provide 631 the image data, which can include, forexample, a 2D image for viewing on a monitor or an analytical resultsuch as from a virtual histology analysis. When done processing 621 thedata, hypervisor 219 recaptures 637 the capacity of GPU 215 that wasallocated 615 to virtual machine 223. This methodology according to thesystems described herein may provide considerable savings in terms ofefficient use of processing resources (e.g., in some embodiments, ashared GPU will provide service associated with a 10×reduction in demandfor processing hardware). In certain embodiments, processor 205coordinates pre-allocation. For pre-allocation, a cath lab indicatesthat it will perform an IVUS operation, and the server allocates andholds resources for that cath lab. When data flows, it flows throughframe-by-frame in real-time for any and all sessions (e.g., IVUSsessions). When the lab session is done, the server can release the lockon those system resources that were held. Further, the server notifieslabs or instruments of deficiencies in resources (e.g., if GPU isoperating at full capacity and a request comes in, server can send amessage to requestor saying so or giving an estimated delay).Additionally, the systems and methods herein allow for distributedmedical imaging laboratories to each avail themselves of systemprocessing power despite geographical separation.

FIG. 7 depicts a distributed system 701 for shared graphical processingof medical image data. Here, graphical processor 205 is operating in SanDiego, Calif. Medical imaging lab 101 a is operating in, for example,Ontario, Oreg. Lab 101 b operates out of Creston, Iowa. Lab 101 n isshown here in Calhoun, Ga. In each lab 101 an imaging instrument 120operates while attached via a PIM 105 to a catheter 112 inserted into apatient's body. Data collected by transducer 114 is transferred viainstrument 120 from Oregon, Iowa, and Georgia to processor 205 inCalifornia. A processing system 215 including one or more GPU inprocessor 205 invokes a virtual machine 223 for each lab. The data isprocessed in the respective virtual machine 223 in processor 205.Results can be displayed, for example, on monitors 103 back in therespective labs 101. While discussed with respect to FIG. 7 as adistributed embodiment, it will be appreciated that systems and methodsof the invention particularly provide embodiments in which processor 205operates at a facility that includes the labs 101 (e.g., a plurality ofcath labs 101 on a hospital campus, each networked to processor 205 in aserver “closet”—generally, an air conditioned room with server racks).Further discussion of client server architecture for imaging may befound in U.S. Pub. 2012/0083696; U.S. Pub. 2011/0257545; U.S. Pub.2011/0245669; U.S. Pub. 2011/0034801; U.S. Pub. 2008/0306766; and U.S.Pub. 2007/0043597, the contents of which are incorporated by referencein their entirety.

As used herein, the word “or” means “and or or”, sometimes seen orreferred to as “and/or”, unless indicated otherwise.

Incorporation by Reference

References and citations to other documents, such as patents, patentapplications, patent publications, journals, books, papers, webcontents, have been made throughout this disclosure. All such documentsare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

Equivalents

Various modifications of the invention and many further embodimentsthereof, in addition to those shown and described herein, will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the full contents of thisdocument, including references to the scientific and patent literaturecited herein. The subject matter herein contains important information,exemplification and guidance that can be adapted to the practice of thisinvention in its various embodiments and equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A medical imaging system comprising: a servercomprising a graphics processor coupled to a memory wherein a hypervisordefines a plurality of virtual machines within the graphics processor,and further wherein the system is operable to: receive a data set from acath lab; perform, using the graphics processor, a plurality oftransformations in parallel on the data set within one of the pluralityof virtual machines; and provide an image of the tissue to the cath lab.2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is communicably coupled toan imaging instrument in each of a plurality of cath labs and the dataset comprises a three-dimensional medical image.
 3. The system of claim2, wherein the server and the plurality of cath labs are each on adifferent floor of a building.
 4. The system of claim 2, wherein theserver and the plurality of cath labs are each in a different building.5. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphics processor comprises aframe buffer.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphics processorcomprises a hardware accelerator configured to perform a portion of theplurality of transformations.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein thegraphics processor comprises a microchip operable to execute a kernelwritten using OpenCL or CUDA.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein thegraphics processor further comprises an integrated ARM CPU.
 9. Thesystem of claim 7, wherein the graphics processor is made by oneselected from the list consisting of NVIDIA, AMD/ATI, S3 Graphics, andMatrox.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphics processor isoperable to perform oversampling and interpolation.
 11. A method ofmedical imaging, the method comprising: using a server comprising agraphics processor coupled to a memory wherein a hypervisor defines aplurality of virtual machines for: receiving from a cath lab a data setcomprising information about a patient's tissue; performing an analysiscomprising a plurality of transformations in parallel on the data setwithin one of the plurality of virtual machines; and providing a resultof the analysis.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the server iscommunicably coupled to an imaging instrument in each of a plurality ofcath labs.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data set comprises athree dimensional medical image and the result comprises a viewableimage on a monitor or saved to a disk.
 14. The method of claim 12,wherein the server and the plurality of cath labs are each in adifferent building.
 15. The method of claim 11, further comprisingstoring transformed data in a frame buffer on the graphics processor.16. The method of claim 11, further comprising using a hardwareaccelerator on the graphics processor.
 17. The method of claim 11,further comprising performing oversampling and interpolation steps onthe data set.
 18. A system for medical imaging, the system comprising: aserver computer comprising a graphical processing unit; a hypervisormodule operable to initiate the creation of a plurality of virtualmachines in the server computer and coordinate, in each of the virtualmachines, a set of processing operations by the graphical processingunit on a set of image data; and a tangible, non-transitory memorycoupled to the graphical processing unit and operable to store processedimage data.